Suzanne McKENZIE MBBS, MMedSci (ClinEpid) GCULT FRACGP
1983-85
Suzanne attended Pymble Ladies College and in 1982 entered medical school at Sydney University, residing at Women’s College. She did her internship at Hornsby and Ryde hospitals, and residency in the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Royal Hospital for Women and Sydney Hospital. Suzanne trained in General Practice and worked in Sydney and Melbourne before moving to Townsville in 2010 to further her academic and teaching career in medicine as an Associate Professor in General Practice and Rural Medicine and Head of Discipline, James Cook University (JCU). At the same time she was the Director of Clinical Studies at JCU and remained a Conjoint Associate Professor at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales. She was a senior lecturer in General Practice at University of New South Wales when she commenced her PhD.
Suzanne held various roles at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in Sydney and Melbourne as a research officer, curriculum development project officer, medical education adviser, trainee research and development advisor and national medical educator and advisor. She became an examiner for the RACGP and held no fewer than fourteen honorary positions from 1992 to 2016. Suzanne was awarded numerous research grants and published or co-wrote almost thirty journal articles. She was a member of the review panels of eleven scientific journals. Her key area of research was the impact of psychological distress and other risk factors including lifestyle and physiological factors on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Suzanne started at Women’s College as a fresher in Langley before moving to a balcony room on second floor Main. She spoke fondly of her time at College, of formal dinners, cheering on the sporting teams, late night suppers and the annual College Ball, as well as making many lifelong friendships. Suzanne was a delightful, funny, compassionate and brilliant woman and medical educator who will be very much missed by her parents, partner Helen and extended family, friends, colleagues and the broader community.
With thanks to Alison Semmonds and Lyndall Cash (COOPER: 1984-85) for providing this biographical information.
Vale 14 July 2018